Driver killed in collision on M40 Warwickshire after car burst into flames

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene

Published:08:51Updated:10:33Friday 26 June 2015

A driver was killed when his car burst into flames after colliding with a lorry on the M40 in Warwickshire.

Six others escaped unhurt after being caught up in the crash on the M40 which saw wreckage spread across three lanes and sparked two separate incidents.

The “complex and distressing” incident happened just before midnight on Thursday on the southbound carriageway half a mile before junction 15.

The M40 southbound remained closed on Friday morning.

The initial incident involved a collision between an HGV lorry and a car.

Ambulance crews arrived to find wreckage over three lanes and the lorry on fire. The car had been destroyed by flames.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Tragically, the driver of the car was confirmed dead at the scene.

“The lorry driver, a man in his 50s was very shaken by what had happened but was uninjured.

“After assessment and treatment at the scene, he was discharged.

“This was a very complex and distressing incident, but all three emergency services worked extremely well together to deal with it as rapidly as possible.”

The second incident happened about a mile back where it is understood that two cars collided, sending one spinning off the road and landing around four metres down the embankment - before also suffering a small engine fire.

The second car spun and hit the back of a HGV side on.

The ambulance spokesperson said: “By chance, a fire engine that was going to the first incident came past the second and very rapidly dealt with the car fire.

“Although there was damage to outside of the vehicle, the inside was largely undamaged.

A couple in their 70s were travelling in the first car with their granddaughter and were uninjured. The girl, in her 20s, was taken to hospital with abdominal pain.

There were two women in their 20s in the second car which suffered “fairly extensive damage” but both escape largely unhurt and were taken to hospital to assess back and chest pain which was not thought to be serious.

Three ambulances, paramedic officers and trauma doctors all went to the scene.

A police helicopter was sent out to search the scene but not other casualties were found.